Chris Cooper to star in Discovery mini ‘Klondike’

Cabler's first-scripted miniseries to shoot next month in Canada

Discovery Channel has tapped Chris Cooper to topline its first-ever scripted mini, “Klondike,” the cabler announced today. Oscar-winning thesp will play Father Judge.

“Klondike” centers on six strangers and their collective fight for survival and wealth in a small, frontier town. Mini represents a significant shift in Discovery’s programming, which had yet to offer scripted skeins till “Klondike” was announced late last year. Discovery’s entrance into the scripted game does, however, echo the content of its popular unscripted programs, including “Gold Rush,” which routinely tops cable ratings in its Friday night timeslot.

“Klondike” is a co-production between Discovery, Entertainment One TV and Nomadic Pictures in association with Scott Free TV. Ridley Scott along with Paul Scheuring, David W. Zucker, John Morayniss and Michael Rosenberg serve as exec producers. Scheuring is the primary writer on the mini.